But when it comes to kleptomania this could not be further from the truth.

Kleptomania is a rare but diagnosable serious mental health condition and manifests in the recurring behaviour of stealing objects that you don’t really need and that may have little value.

It can be very painful for sufferers and their loved ones, because sufferers cannot control the compulsion or urge to steal.

As stealing is also a criminal act, there is a huge stigma around the condition, which makes it very hard for those experiencing it.

Hannah, a mental health blogger, writer and campaigner in recovery from anorexia, explained how kleptomania became a pattern of behaviour when she was unwell.

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‘I can’t remember how it started, I don’t remember the first time that I felt compelled to steal and I can’t give any sort of explanation as to why I thought it was acceptable.

‘The items that I stole were irrelevant, from food to candles, a hair dryer or a phone case.

‘There was no rhyme or reason to it, I didn’t even experience a high from it, stealing was just something that I did and for some reason every shop became a new opportunity.’

Hannah remembers at one point stealing medication which she hoped would help her lose weight as part of her eating disorder, but it was the stealing itself which became addictive and got worse and worse.

Peter Klein is a counsellor who works with people struggling with a variety of mental health conditions.

He said: ‘Sufferers [of kleptomania] can find it difficult to resist the impulses and feel strong positive emotions after the act which is sometimes followed by guilt. In many cases the amount of times sufferers take items increases over time.’

‘Before the theft an individual will experience a rising sense of tension and feels pleasure, gratification and/or pleasure on committing the theft.

‘There is therefore an addictive quality to it where gratification and pleasure reinforce the behaviour in the same way that individuals might derive pleasure from setting fires in pyromania.

‘What is stolen is of secondary importance – individuals will often simply hoard items unused.

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It is important to differentiate the compulsiveness of the behaviour from stealing that might be associated with other psychiatric conditions such as depression, mania and dementia.

Admitting to the symptoms of kleptomania can be very difficult for sufferers (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Dr Wilkins said that kleptomania is very rarely diagnosed and that sufferers often do not come forward to seek support and treatment, even though the World Health Organisation and American Psychiatric Association both classify it as a clinical condition.

‘Admitting my problem was shameful and embarrassing,’ said Hannah, who was brought up in a Christian family.

‘I could really sense the disappointment from my mum who gave so much to help me during my early days.The behaviour was criminal, unexplainable and totally inexcusable – but kleptomania is a serious mental health issue.’

‘In hindsight, I wish that I had been stopped but more so I wish that someone might have been able to help me with an addiction which I now unhappily recognise as being a part of my mental illness.’

Mr Klein and Dr Wilkins both say that the illness is characterised by controlling impulses and in some cases intrusive thoughts, like in OCD.

‘Kleptomania is often diagnosed among other conditions such as addictions and anxiety disorders. Also, if someone is anxious, then the excitement of taking items can help distract from worries and everyday concerns,’ said Mr Klein.

There are various kinds of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that could have helped Hannah.

Mr Klein said: ‘Exposure therapies as they are implemented in CBT are an effective way of working with kleptomania.

‘Some old school methods focus on behavioural approaches such as implementing desensitisation techniques, for example if someone imagined stealing something and then sniffed a foul smelling odour or imagined being caught.

‘These approaches aim at lessening the urge by lessening the sense of reward people experience from stealing.’

More modern approaches look at how people can sit with the urge to steal without trying to get rid of the urge.

‘It’s like a muscle that individuals can train, said Mr Klein. ‘If sufferers are able to notice when the urge comes up, let it be there without getting rid of it, then paradoxically the urge does often get weaker and even if it doesn’t, they still have the choice of not stealing.’

He also said that this should be in combination with medications including SSRI anti-depressants or medications that treat addiction, like opioid antagonists, which must be taken under the advice of a psychiatrist.

Who develops kleptomania?

Kleptomania risk factors may include:

Family history – having a first-degree relative, such as a parent or sibling, with kleptomania, obsessive compulsive disorder, or an alcohol or substance use disorder may increase the risk of kleptomania

Other mental illness – people with kleptomania often have another mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, an eating disorder, substance use disorder or a personality disorder

Symptoms include:

Inability to resist powerful urges to steal items that you don’t need

Feeling increased tension, anxiety or arousal leading up to the theft

Feeling pleasure, relief or gratification while stealing

Feeling terrible guilt, remorse, self-loathing, shame or fear of arrest after the theft

Return of the urges and a repetition of the kleptomania cycle

Mr Klein said that sometimes medication works on its own, but it is better to undergo therapy too, although there can be long waiting lists for NHS treatment.

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Dr Wilkins said: ‘There is very little on offer for kleptomania from generic mental health services.

‘Medication may be relevant especially if there is an associated psychiatric condition. Because of the compulsive nature of the behaviour SSRI antidepressants may be useful.

‘Aversion therapy may be useful – it can be in trichotillomania [pathological hair pulling].

Psychological treatments such as behaviour therapy may also be useful in trying to help individuals to develop alternative strategies to deal with dysphoria and tension in much the same way as in the treatment of compulsive self-harmers.’

For people struggling with kleptomania, the most important thing is to find support and help, and understand that it’s a health condition just like any other.